


How to Find a Valentine, Alec Lightwood Style

by Sandylee007



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Accidents, Alec Lightwood Needs A Hug, Alternate Universe - Real World, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Alec Lightwood, Awkward Romance, First Meetings, Fluff, Flustered Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Needs A Hug, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Meet-Cute, Romance, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22725268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandylee007/pseuds/Sandylee007
Summary: REAL LIFE AUAlec Lightwood has never been on a date or had a Valentine. He’s hopeless at face-to-face meetings. And refuses to resort to Tinder. So how does the lonely pretty boy find himself that special someone for the most romantic day of the year?He collides with one Magnus Bane with his motorcycle and the rest promises to be history.To think that none of it would've happened without the demon cat...!
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 15
Kudos: 142





	How to Find a Valentine, Alec Lightwood Style

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine’s Day! (grins and hugs) I told myself that I wouldn’t type a ‘special addition’ for today, but... Here we are. (chuckles)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Noooope, I own nothing. Nor do I make any profit with this. If only...!
> 
> Btw... I tagged both the series and books as fandoms because Malec’s personalities turned out to be closer to those from the books. (grins)
> 
> Alright, folks. Let’s go! I REALLY hope that you’ll enjoy the ride.

Alec Lightwood really, truly hated Valentine’s Day.

He was twenty-one and had never been on a date. Nor had he ever kissed anyone, let alone... something further. It wasn’t like he had a problem with romance. He had a problem with people in general. Especially when he was supposed to... impress someone.

Face-to-face communication typically led to a disaster. He either talked too much or shut down entirely. Or then he was painfully honest in a manner people couldn’t put up with. He also had no idea where he could meet someone he might’ve wanted to date. (Not that he would’ve ever admitted to the thought crossing his mind.) His current part-time job as a bouncer rather led to him facing people who made him swear against relationships. At school he was too busy and ‘Mr. Right’ suddenly showing up at his door only happened in romantic movies and those books Izzy read. And Alec had decided firmly that he’d never be desperate enough to resort to Tinder or something like that. So his chances at finding that ‘special someone’ were... limited.

Oh yes, and he was gay. Which he only admitted to himself a few months earlier. And he still freaked out about it a little bit sometimes. Or a lot.

Alec was a damned mess doomed to spend all the Valentine’s Days of his life alone.

This year he was in a particularly sour mood on the oh-so-special day because his little sister Izzy was on a date. Which drove his protective instincts mad. (He refrained from stalking because she threatened him with some very nasty and painful things if she caught a whiff of him during her date. Apparently he’d scared off enough potential boyfriends and she really liked this one.) And he was stuck alone, listening to his roommate and brother Jace... getting it on with some girl. They were already at it two hours earlier, when he came home exhausted to the bone. And if the pair's increasing volume was any indication, they weren’t about to stop anytime soon.

Alec had to get out because if he added any more volume to his headphones, he’d do permanent damage to his ears.

Alec loved driving a motorcycle. The sense of freedom it gave him was intoxicating, always helped ease his mind. That evening, too. He drove without any particular destination in mind or concept of time.

Alec was excited to a point of near euphoria when something... unexpected occurred. A car drove from the opposite direction with its brightest lights on and blinded him for a few fateful moments. By the time he regained his eyesight he was stunned to see a cat running across the road. And then, exactly one second before it was too late do anything about it, he saw a man running after the feline.

The collision was so inevitable that Alec would’ve claimed it was the work of fate. If he believed in such a thing. At the moment only one thought fit into his head.

_Oh shit...!_

/

At the age of twenty-five Magnus Bane really, truly hated Valentine’s Day with venom.

His hatred for that particular holiday started from a very, very unfortunate childhood trauma he didn’t think he’d ever be ready to talk about. Hence he’d never gone out on Valentine’s Day, despite his numerous legendary, thrilling, infamous and sometimes unfortunate... romantic adventures. One Camille Belcourt made him break that pact when he was particularly stupid at the age of nineteen. She rewarded him lowering his emotional barriers by breaking up with him on what was allegedly the most romantic day of the year. It was public and ugly, and led to him drinking himself stupid for almost a week. And Magnus had a brand-new reason to hate the day.

Which was why he rolled his eyes theatrically while talking to a phone. “For the last time, no. Lorenzo can rage, rant and threaten all he likes but I’m not coming to his party.”

“ _You shouldn’t be alone today_ ”, Catarina beckoned in her most persuasive tone. Which usually worked. Not today.

“I shouldn’t be allowed near people today. I just had a loud, one-sided fight with Tesco’s self-checkout machine. Because of chocolate. Imagine how I’d act towards actual, living people.” He started rummaging through his pocket for keys. “Besides, I’m not alone. I have my baby with me.”

“ _A cat doesn’t count as company._ ”

Magnus narrowed his eyes. “For comments like that you’re not Church’s godmother.” By then he’d reached his apartment’s door. “Now off you go, enjoy the party. And remember to share all the gossip with me later because Raphael is too mean to do so and Ragnor always gets too drunk to remember.”

“ _Will do_ ”, Catarina returned. Accepting defeat. “ _See you tomorrow._ ”

Magnus opened the door. And in an instant the day that’d already been... trying got worse. Because Church, who was usually too lazy to move from wherever he’d flopped down unless he absolutely had to, sped out. Magnus could only watch with wide, horrified eyes as the feline disappeared from view. And then he was running, hoping desperately that a neighbor wouldn’t open the building’s front door before he’d caught his pet.

Of course someone did, letting Church outside. To the streets of New York. Magnus knew, on a level of reason, how dangerous it was to chase the cat blindly. By the time that dim realization dawned he was in the middle of a street, on a collision course with a motorcycle.

The collision was so inevitable that Magnus would’ve claimed it was the work of fate. If he believed in such a thing. At the moment only one bitter thought fit into his head.

_Great, just great, of course I’ll die on February 14th..._

/

It was all a bit hard to keep track of after that.

Alec fell down with his bike, hard but not enough so to cause further damage than bruises. He shook his head, taking a second to figure out what, exactly, happened. Until he remembered that he just hit someone. Eyes wide and his heart pounding, he looked up to see a man lay on the street.

_No, no, no, no...!_

Ignoring some few aches, he scrambled up and dashed to the stranger. Who was, thankfully, very much alive, conscious and seemed to focus hard on breathing. Their eyes met and as of that moment Alec lost all hope of being able to think coherently.

He’d be damned if that man wasn’t the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. Alec couldn’t stop staring. Suddenly his heart was hammering for a very different reason than before.

“... run me over?” the other wheezed.

“You ran to the street without looking!” Alec took a couple of calming breaths. “Are you okay? Of course you’re not, I’ve gotta call an ambulance! Where’s my phone...?”

“... I’m fine.” The man sat up slowly and grimaced while trying the back of his head, then his chest with a tentative hand. “Just... Got breath knocked out. I’ll probably get bruises and a bump, too. But no serious harm done.”

Alec frowned. He didn’t quite dare to believe the optimistic assessment. “I really think I should take you to an emergency room.”

“They’d only tell you the same things I just did.” The man smiled a bit, which made roughly a million butterflies come to life in Alec’s stomach. “Thank you for the care, though. It’s quite adorable.”

Alec refused to acknowledge the heat that appeared to his cheeks. “I just ran you over. Any decent person would care.” He squirmed. “I’m so sorry! I’m a careful driver but a car blinded me and...”

The injured man, his damned victim, actually placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Those eyes were so mesmerizing that it was impossible to look away. “Accidents happen. At least you have a proper reason. I dashed to the street like a madman because of my...” The man’s eyes widened. “Church!” The stranger was struggling to get up, potential still undiscovered injuries be damned.

“Hey, hey, take it slow!” Alec seriously didn’t like the other moving around like that so soon after the crash. When the man swayed, he offered a supportive arm without thinking twice and after a moment of surprise the other leaned to him. It felt... surprisingly nice. “Why are you in such a hurry to get to a church?”

“Church is my cat”, the man explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “He ran away and I have to find him. He’s never even spent a night on his own and he’s a furry demon but...” The stranger trailed off.

“I’ll help”, Alec offered. Because it wasn’t like he had anything better to do and he definitely wanted to stick around just a little longer to make sure that the man was really okay. And yes, the stranger was so alluring that he felt an instant, magnet like pull. So sue him.

The man nodded, calming down a little. “Thank you. But... Perhaps you should move your bike from the street first?”

It wasn’t until then Alec became aware of the cars whistling past them, some of them honking aggressively.

A few moments later they entered a park across the street. Neither noticing how they walked far closer to each other than they would’ve had to. Which was when it hit Alec that he never introduced himself. “I’m Alec, by the way. I’m sorry I ruined your Valentine’s Day.”

“Magnus.” The man glanced towards him in a way Alec wasn’t able to read. “And you did no such thing. Spending time with a pretty boy like you is far from unpleasant.”

Alec blushed radiantly, unaware of the satisfied little smile that appeared to his lips.

Sad as it may be, that turned out to be the best Valentine’s Day they’d ever had.

/

From a nearby tree Church observed the two of them. There was a mischievous, very satisfied gleam in the cat’s eyes before he started to wash himself. He’d give them a few more minutes before revealing himself.

**Author's Note:**

> LOL! Those two seriously crashed into each other. (giggles)
> 
> Soooo... Was that ANY good, at all? PLEASE, do let me hear from you! Comments ALWAYS make my day.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Who knows. Maybe I’ll see you again later.
> 
> Take care!


End file.
